Today’s Action: Tell Congress to condemn the use of tear-gas at our borders

On November 25, our Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents used tear gas (a chemical weapon) against asylum-seeking refugees on the U.S.-Mexico border in Tijuana, including small children still in diapers — a clear violation of international law.

This should be enough for every member of Congress to publicly condemn Trump’s actions, yet another stomach-churning example of violence against the most vulnerable. But in addition to this disgraceful incident, Trump has intentionally bottle-necked the asylum process, both deterring border crossing between ports of entry AND restricting access in the “allowed” ports. The result is nearly 5,000 asylum-seekers camped in Mexico, with a months-long unofficial waiting list…hungry, desperate, and frightened.

The act of accepting asylum from Central and South American refugees isn’t simply a good deed we can choose to take due to charity in our hearts. Past and recent U.S. military intervention and corporate draining of resources across the two continents are a primary and direct cause of the economic and political instability these migrants are now fleeing.

The past actions of our country are now in full view along our borders, and Trump’s first chance to initiate reparations resulted in racist blanket-denial and tear-gassed toddlers.